Mountain Hardwear Compressor Pant

I've admired and wanted a pair of these insulated pants for years and finally bought them. I'm a bit uncertain about reviewing them because I haven't actually used them yet in field conditions. But straight out of the mailing package they fit great, and I'm confident they'll do the job just fine.

What attracted me to these pants are the nylon reinforcement patches on the seat and knees. I'm a solo paddler who prefers cool weather/cold weather downriver canoe camping trips. I paddle exclusively in the kneeling position while sitting on a saddle, thus the reinforced areas on these pants are ideally located to prevent abrasion damage that would reduce the useful life of the product.

A major benefit I expect to enjoy from these pants is I can wear them while sleeping fully dressed during winter camping trips. Teamed with my Mountain Hardware Sub-zero hooded jacket or my Patagonia Nano hooded jacket (both of which I bought from REI) sleeping fully dressed will let me lighten my overall gear load. Not only will I sleep warmer but I'll never again suffer that harsh temperature shock when exiting the tent on cold nights and mornings.

No doubt the other insulated pants that REI offers are excellent products also. Again, I chose these because they have reinforcement patches located exactly where needed to protect my investment. I really appreciate the design.

Took these on a two-night backpack in the central New Mexico mountains in December. Long nights just below freezing, light snow on the ground. Bought and brought them for sitting around in camp after sunset and before sunrise. They worked very well, warm and comfortable. Fit well over several light layers. Although I wear a 34-35-inch inseam normally, the shorter inseam works fine, covering down to near my boots. Side zips let you put them on when you get to camp without taking off your boots. I plan to continue bringing them on winter trips.

I used this on the mountain in below -10F weather and stayed plenty warm. The fabric is soft and sizing good, but these pants feel a bit bulkier and less well fitted than the seemingly equally warm patagonia micro puff pants (which have been replaced by the DAS pants I believe). This may be due to MHW's Thermic Micro insulation being a bit lower quality than PrimaLoft One.

Overall, a good product, but not my preferred puffy pant.